Seventeen year old Joti lives a peaceful life on her ancestral farm in Punjab, far from political turmoil, foreign wars, and the struggle for independence. Until the summer of 1947, when her country is suddenly partitioned to create two sovereign nations—Pakistan and India.

Punjab erupts into a shattered land of nightmares, torn apart by death and destruction. Before the violence subsides, millions of people will have lost their lives and Joti will find herself amongst the countless refugees fighting to survive one of the greatest tragedies of the modern era.

In the summer of 2018, seventeen year old Priya travels from her home in New York City to her great grandmother’s farm in Punjab. Searching for meaning in her materialistic and shallow existence, she becomes determined to uncover the mysteries of the past and heal her family’s wounds, left too long unattended.

Priya soon finds herself on an adventure of discovery, learning what it is to love and what it means to know true peace.

Rajpura—Bhoglan—is our second home. Family. The relaxation of village life. Delicious home-cooked meals, rich dairy straight from the buffalo, fresh saag/maki di roti, and the best shopping in the world only a short drive away in every direction.

2. Amritsar

No trip to Punjab is complete without visiting Amritsar and bowing at Harimandir Sahib, The Golden Temple. The sense of community and service is uplifting beyond words, and there is no place like it on the planet.

3. Zakir Husain Rose Garden, Chandigarh

A place of tranquil beauty in the middle of the hectic press of humanity, this rose garden is the perfect place for those of us from the wide-open spaces of New Mexico to relax and appreciate nature—not to be missed.

4. Anandpur Sahib

A beautiful two hour drive from our home in Rajpura, this city founded by Guru Tegh Bahadur himself sits on the edge of the Shivalik Hills and is for absolutely certain The City of Bliss. With a rich Sikh history, the town hosts the annual Hola Mohalla festival, which is to be experienced at least once during a lifetime.

5. Bahadurgarh Fort, Patiala

Now a Commando Police Training center, the ruins of this hauntingly stunning fort are simply magical. If you get the chance to visit, don’t turn it down.

Excerpt

“There
are two kinds of people in this world,” Biji said eventually. “Those who find
it easy and natural to justify their own actions, no matter how those actions
affect the world around them...”

More tinkling
of china.

“Okay. And?”

“And those for whom any kind of
injustice or ill-gotten gain is painful. They would rather live in honest
poverty than in palaces built on the pain or loss of those less fortunate than
themselves.”

“Oh, here we go.” Mom heaved a sigh
filled with so much exasperation that we could hear it where we stood.
Definitely losing her shit. “Time to attack the wealthy. Biji, I really don’t
have ti—”

Biji spoke
over her. “Priya belongs
to the second group. And there is nothing you or anyone can do to change that.”

“And her education? What about her
future?”

“She will return with you to finish her
education, of course,” Biji said. “But I have a feeling her career choice will
not be one you would choose for her.”

“She’s decided on some noble pursuit,
is that it?” Mom had a talent for injecting disgust into any phrase, no matter
how positive. It was enough to motivate very noble pursuits, indeed. “And you
actually think this sudden drive to righteousness will finally satisfy her?
That after cleaning off the stains of our money she won’t be angry all
the time?”

“She’s angry for one simple reason,”
Biji said. “She’s angry because money is a poor substitute for faith.”

“Oh, faith!” New heights of
disgust had been reached. Congratulations, Mom.

They fell
silent. I imagined Biji smiling her mischievous smile.

“Look at that,” she said, her voice
bright, clearly changing the subject. “Today the sky is such a clear blue,
isn’t it? It is truly amazing how storms can strike, devastating the world
beneath them, and then one day they simply pass away, leaving new life in their
wake. And as the seasons pass, we watch what has become withered and old die
back, making room for new growth, continuing the endless cycle of birth and
death.”

I waited for
Mom to answer, but she said nothing.

“I learned a new lesson recently,” Biji
continued. “Just because something is gone, left in the ashes of the
past...doesn’t mean it has to be forgotten. All life has one thing in common.
The plants, the trees, down to every insect. That is the capacity to evolve. To
learn from mistakes, to do better, to be a better version of itself.”

Biji spoke to
me, not my mother, and I nodded just as if she could see me.

Maybe there
didn’t need to be some cosmic plan to
anything. Maybe simply living—really living—was enough.

After a few
minutes, we heard the downstairs door open, and Namrita said something in rapid
Punjabi to Biji, and they went inside.

I reached out
and closed the window.

My tears were
dry, and I found that I couldn’t
stop smiling. Mom would always be Mom. Protective and caring in her own distant
way, but definitely belonging to that first group Biji described.

About the Author

SiriGuruDev Singh lives in New Mexico and Punjab, India with her husband, two daughters, and various extended relatives and animals. She is the author of the YA urban fantasy trilogy The Infernal Guard and Exiled To Freedom, a YA historical fiction novel about India’s bloody Partition of 1947.

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Welcome to Wishful Endings! This is where I geek out about all things bookish (mostly YA, but also Romance, Christian Romance, LDS Romance, and occasionally other genres and hobby titles)! I always include content info in my reviews so you know what you're diving into. I enjoy helping publishers and authors promote their books as co-owner of Prism Book Tours. Outside of blogging, I'm a total Marvel geek, Austen lover, and enjoy hanging with the family (husband, four kiddos, and pup).

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